The Dinner Party
by Winter Weatherman
Summary: Sakura and Naruto's wild orgy that they call a marriage... and Sakura's bright idea to invite Hinata over for a little.. ya know.. swinging.. nudgenudgewinkwink. PWP sorta, probably TBC, something fun and sexpositive for a change. NaruSakuHina.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a total lark, scribbled in 30 minutes while I took a break from deadline-pressure-du-jour. I hope I got Naruto and Sakura in character, but I really didn't spend even a fraction of the time thinking about them that I did about SasuHina in that 60,000+ word thing over there. I just wanted to write some happy sex-positive fun! Blame Starbucks, their espresso did this to me. :D I only had about 10 minutes to proofread, there may be a spelling/grammar error or three.

Everyone's 18. Everyone's legal. In continuity with Still Waters, at that. Beats me if Hinata will actually go through with this. TBC, I guess. Still Waters is still my fanfic priority.

Oh, and I don't own Naruto.

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8:50pm

"Right now!" Sakura whispered impatiently against the hot skin of his neck, even though she knew damn well that Hinata was less then a few rooms away, their apartment was pretty small. The walls were thin. Hell, Hinata might hear, even if she didn't come back to the table in time to see.

And _of course_ they got caught. Of course! Sakura knew that this whole thing would get completely out of control! Naruto did that to things.. to people.. to her! He infected her with his naughty stupid brilliant silly _fantastic_ ideas, this was all _his fault._

"Yeah, we can forget the part where it was your idea, right Sakura-chan?" he laughed breathlessly, afterwards, smiling in a way that you just had to smile back at. "Yeah?"

Oh, _hell _yeah.

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5:00pm

Sakura wanted to leave work early. The day worked out in her favor, for once. The patients were all taken care of by the time the mechanical wall clocks clicked to down to five. She passed through the main hall of the hospital, taking a quick shortcut through the quiet surgical ward and through the splice into the old building, through that and into the village administration building. Her long coat rippled out behind her, intimidating the administration's little worker ants even more then usual. More then her precision glow of chakra, the traces of it that zipped around her hands, her hair sometimes, her usual silent warning to _not fucking mess with her_, she was Uzumaki Sakura, anyone who tried to hurt her village, her patients, her friends or her husband would deal with _her._

The Hokage's Office administrator who was giving Naruto a hard time about his field tactics half-cowered behind his coffee cup as she passed. It made Sakura smile, shark-like. She could almost forget. Almost.

She hurried up the stairs to Tsunade's office. She wanted to get going, she had to hit the markets. Hinata would be coming over at six.

Tsunade was yawning against the back of one manicured hand when Sakura bustled through the door. They did their usual day-end reports, Sakura told her about the tough compound fracture case she'd had. Tsunade waved her away from her desk. "Go ahead," she said, pointing towards the door. Sakura smiled and bowed, ducking her head swiftly. She mentioned that she had invited Hinata to come around for drinks and dinner. Tsunade thinned her painted lips slightly.

"How's her father?"

"Better, I think."

And a bit of a wise smile. "This would be your husband's idea?"

"Mine," Sakura was blushing. Dammit.

"Then lets get this over with." Tsunade said with hard directness, closing the mission record book with a solid thump. Her eyes snapped onto Sakura's. "How many weeks this time?"

Sakura admired the clinical sternness in her mentor's voice. It also irritated her, she felt a weak prickle of anger at it. But she was grateful, too. She needed to learn this kind of detachment. Sighing, she slumped her cheek into her hand. It was only the third time, after all. It wasn't like it didn't happen all the freaking time.

"Eight." she said. Trying it for herself.

"Not even out of the first trimester," Tsunade said, mostly for her benefit, Sakura thought. Tsunade's quick hazel eyes flicked up from her desk full of paper. Then down again. "It's common. You wait for a reason."

Sakura fought the urge to shift her weight uncomfortably. "I know." she said.

"Did you tell him?"

But that was different. "Of course.." she muttered, jamming her fingers together behind her back, twisting them.

"No, I mean _did you tell him?"_

Oh.

"He's been away."

"After the party then?"

She sighed. "I guess... I think we're getting used to it.. by now."

Tsunade was used to this. She'd have to be. It _was _common. Sakura should know, this was her third time.

Tsunade had long since looked back to her paperwork. She ran sharp painted nails over a thick bundle of invoices. There was a patch of drying ink spilt onto the end of her thumb. "How's he taking it?" she asked, still steely and impervious.

He's used to it, Sakura thought. He's used to it the same way I am. Exactly the same way I am.

Then Tsunade half-smiled, raising an delicate, shaped eyebrow. "Your idea, then." she said knowingly. "Have fun."

And Sakura was able to smile, to push the dark clouds away. She bowed, wished her mentor a good evening, and hurried out.

Yes, her idea. It was both of theirs, actually.

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5:50pm

Naruto got in from his mission early after all. He beat her home. Sakura was greeted by a warm line of light under the door as she dragged her tired body up the stairs to their apartment.

"Sakura-chaaaan," he called from the kitchen as her key scratched in the lock. She could almost feel him through the door, warming her even before his voice came warbling from the open kitchen door. "Saaaaakuraaa-chaaan..!" singsong and silly, but the affection in it went right through her like a hot blade. She pulled off her sandals, clumsy with haste, anything to get into his arms just a bit faster.

He turned, smooth reflexes, as she burst through the kitchen door, and she saw his bright blue eyes first, his hair pale and shocking next to his tanned skin- then he had her, his strong arms tight around her. "Sakura." he whispered, his voice husky and thick, she could feel it's deep vibration through his chest. "Saaakura..." testing and moving the syllables around, half-teasing, half-sensual.. it was the stupid and sexy perfection that he excelled in so naturally and Sakura just twisted herself a bit closer to him, pressing him back against the metal edge of the stove. This moment was made just for luxuriating in that insistent warm, his hands hot and melting right through the thin woven cotton of her undershirt. She'd thrown the coat onto the floor in her haste. She'd have to pick it up again, Naruto would tease her about throwing her clothes on the floor. And she loved that, she loved him, she loved this.. ok, so maybe she wouldn't pick it up, she'd wait until he saw.

"Ah.. Naruto." she murmured. She felt the pleased, approving noise he made more then heard it. He liked it when she said he name. Loved it. He never tired of it. That was why he rolled her name around his nimble fox's tongue, tasting every part of it, loving the sound of it, too. He had such a searing talent for pleasure of all kinds, Sakura could just let go and melt into him, let him set her free from everything, all her worries. "..Naruto." she whispered again, forming the word against the taut skin of his jaw.

"I made dinner," he said, a bit out of breath. Pleased with himself, too. She should probably be worried, Hinata didn't like spicy foods the way she and Naruto did.

"I see that." she said, muffled against him. She feigned disapproval, knowing he loved it. She almost shivered just for his answering chuckle. She rubbed her cheek against the torn edge of his shirt, the hot skin under it. He smelled of sweat and ozone and blood, mostly not his own. He must have just gotten home and kicked off his sandals, rushed into the kitchen, no time to shower. She didn't have to open her eyes to know that he'd dirtied every single pot. He always did, it was a talent of his.

"Go shower, she'll be here soon." she whispered.

"Maybe we should talk about that other thing we're not going to talk about," he said, between artless little kisses, like he was just that glad to see her. He couldn't stop touching her, kissing her, even to talk to her, even about this.. better then about _that,_ Sakura thought, and pushed away the grimness.

"Maybe," she murmured, giving him a long significant look, a promising smile, Teasing him with the possibility.

He laughed, kissed her on the nub of her nose.

"Go shower, you smell!" she said teasingly, patting his tight rear through his dusty jeans. "You'll scare her off!"

"I'll attract her with my whatchamacallit.. animal _magnetism," _he said grandly. "You'll see." he snickered down the hall, planning naughtiness under his breath. Sakura loaded the dishes into the sink and poured hot water on them. She ran her fingers through the spray. Hot water slipped over her skin, drenching her hand up to her wrist. She closed her eyes. They both wanted this. Not just to get their minds off it. Not just because they both liked her. Hell, they loved her. She was a good friend. She was honest and true. And Sakura knew she was lonely.

"Maybe," she whispered to herself, smiling her own secret smile. Maybe only good things could come of good intentions.

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8:40pm

Dinner went well. Naruto really was a good cook, he just happened to always destroy the kitchen in the process. Sakura had managed to cobble together a salad around the edges of the mess. She'd bought some decent wine, getting that whole red/white thing that she didn't really understand pretty ok for a change. "Think this wine goes with the hot sauce?" she'd asked Hinata, watching Naruto snag one of the sautéed jalapeno rings out of the corner of her eye, even thought they _weren't on that course yet_, and he wasn't supposed to. She lazily considered smacking his knuckles with the serving spoon in her hand. What the hell kind of wine did you use with their kind of food, anyway?

"We're not real adults," she said to Naruto, amused by it. "Not really. We're just damn kids." She saw Hinata's eyes change, just a bit, as she said that. But Sakura couldn't read that look, Hinata was too soft, too subtle.

"I dunno, I think it goes ok." Naruto said, shrugging.

"You just drank half the bottle." she teased him.

"The fox needs his demon rum, y'know?" he parried, effortlessly wiseass, with a feigned half-leer. "What do you think, Hinata-chan? They do the wine thing over at your house, right?"

"Well.. not really. My father is very traditional," she demurred. But Sakura could see the spark of light that had bloomed in her shy friend's eyes. She could see that Hinata wanted to be here with the, even if they were probably scandalizing her. It made Sakura want to bring Hianta closer, share the love. Why not?

That had been Naruto's reasoning, "Hell, why not? She's cute as a button, you're gorgeous as hell, why not?"

"That wouldn't be a good enough reason for Dr. Phil, you know." she had said to him, still playing the enchanted saint to his bacchanalian sinner. But it was damn sure good enough for her.

And Hinata seemed so relaxed, smiling sweetly and blushing with pleasure, it seemed, just to be around them. She worked so damn hard, she was training so hard that she was breaking capillaries in her knuckles, Sakura really had to wonder if there wasn't something else going on, something that Hinata would never talk about, because Hinata was just so freaking polite. She'd hold it all inside. She'd just go on and never complain, never ask for anything more.. and Sakura and Naruto both loved her, so why not? Sakura had to get this other crap out of the way fast, because things were moving. They had a shot at this.

So when Hinata excused herself to go to the bathroom, Sakura put down her wine glass and kicked Naruto lightly under the table. He was pausing in the middle of a wild retelling of his last mission, most of which probably was his usual editorializing. He was flexing the fingers of one hand, examining them for torn ligaments. "...shit." he muttered, when she told him.

Artlessly. He just looked down. A few spikes of hair scattered over his forehead. Sakura might have bought it, if she hadn't caught him eyeing her worriedly a second before, all blue-eyed concern. "Shit." he muttered, screwing his face up in a scowl behind a rough wipe with one bruised hand.

Then he looked up at her with his bright heartbreaker's blue eyes, the look flashing worry and love both, both at once. "_Fuck, _not again.. are you ok, Sakura-chan?"

"I'm fine," she said, smiling and nearly meaning it, because he made you feel his love, feel it, just by speaking, looking at you. "It happened yesterday. I was just at the hospital, it wasn't because I was training.."

"It wouldn't be, I guess." he said, sitting back heavily. "Shit." he said, pushing the heels of his hands against his eyes. Blond hair spiked between his fingers. "You think it's the fox?"

"Maybe." she said, playing with the edge of the tablecloth. She heard Naruto mumble, then make some soft, feline sound of affection under his breath.

"Sakura-chan." he whispered, warmly. He ran his toes along the underside of her bare foot under the table. It made her smile. It was almost ok.

"I think we're getting used to it, huh?" she whispered. "Because it keeps happening.." She heard him get up. "It's okay.." she said, waving him off.

"Nah..." he whispered, padding over on bare feet, one bandaged. It was amazing how much affection could shine through one little word, not even really a proper word at that. His strong hands felt familiar and hot to the touch, he was full of energy, always, even when injured and exhausted.

"Maybe the fox." she whispered when she felt the smooth skin of his cheek against her own.

"He's being quiet too, the stupid asshole.." Naruto said, in a warm undertone. "Can't ruin this. Hey, did Granny say-"

"We can try again." Sakura replied. She locked her arms around his waist, let his strength reassure her. They could always try again.

"Then we will," he said, mustering enough spark for cheerfulness, enough to carry both of them.

"Right now." she whispered, arching her back slightly against him. She rubbed her breasts against his chest, and the fabric moved between them. He bit her lip so gently as her nipples hardened from the friction. And he was insistently, instantly hard against her leg. The warmth of his hot breath spread over her cheek and neck, and she was hot too, inside, flowing and ready. Right now.

"Now," he almost purred, his voice low and barbed. "Ah.. Saaakura.." even the way he said it, the way he stroked and teased every syllable. His hot, sly fingertips were already under her skirt, playing with the hem of her panties like a lazy cat. She grabbed the hard lump in his pants in one hand and squeezed him slowly, making it brutally gentle, waiting for him to purr again, it really was almost a purr. He did, weaving it into her name. "...Sakuura. _Ah," _Pulling her panties down, and then over her ankles with that sharp gasp of breath.

Sakura wasn't of two minds anymore, but part of her thought about Hinata and thought about being caught. Thought not _just _about being caught, when she thought about Hinata, seeing, watching them, maybe. Listening.

The other part of her just wriggled and arched against the smooth enamel, he'd carried her around the breakfast nook, lifted her up onto the kitchen counter. The pile of dishes in the sink jabbed at her hand when she grabbed to her side, blindly. Naruto pulled her back on balance, pressing his body close to hers. She gripped the sides of his waist between her thighs.

"Come on.. come on.." she whispered, almost begging him. She wanted to hear him laugh excitedly, elated at how much she wanted him, because he wanted her and he'd only wanted her this badly for years. Since they were twelve. Before that. Ever before that. She flexed the muscles in her thighs, the pubococcygeus that were almost connected, anticipating. "This'll do it," she whispered to him, totally encouraging him, like this wasn't all her idea too. Not like he took much convincing. "This'll have to do it, this is great for cervical-" Stimulation, she was going to say. Cervical stimulation. This position. But he'd darted forward, caught her lips in his, and she just let herself move, wriggle and pant under him. He could get her going with his fingers, his tongue alone. He soaked her through, he made her the perfect mirror of his wild sexuality, his hair-trigger desire, his endless, bottomless, impossible stamina.

They'd figured the wildness would fade, they'd be like a normal married couple, they'd get comfortable, but it just never _did,_ they still chased one another around the bed like frantic crazy animals every time they were together. The neighbors complained to the superintendent, but she just couldn't keep quiet. And of course Naruto did all the yelling and growling on purpose, he knew she got off on it just as much as he did. Sakura really didn't know how they ever managed to get themselves to work in the morning, they probably should never make it past the front door. Ino had laughed at the wedding, told Sakura that she'd never see Sakura or Naruto again, they'd spend the rest of their lives in the bedroom. Screaming the walls down, Sakura thought. That bitchy old couple overhead whacking the floor with kunai pommels- _damn kids, quiet down! It's after midnight!_

Naruto was chuckling slyly, deep and liquid in his throat now, wickedly pleased with his own evil plans. But his hands stroked her with a gentleness that made her feel like she must be made of gold, she must be the most precious thing in the world to him. "You are.." he gasped. "..you_ are.."_

"Now..!" she whimpered against his mouth and he slid into her like a long, smooth pillar of fire.

She could of kept quiet if she had to, but why should she? Naruto loved it when she made noise, he'd laugh and answer her, their voices reverberating and twisting in the air between them, perfect and harmonized like their trained bodies. Perfect unison. She leaned her head back and moaned one long_ '...aaaaaah,' _just for him. "Ah. _Naruto." _Just for him.

"Hey, what if Hinata hears?" he whispered hotly, wet against her breast, the hard point of her nipple still caught in the edge of his lips as he spoke.

"We'll be caught then." she said, after she'd gasped and gotten air back into her lungs again.

"Hey, what if we _are?" _Never mind, he was sucking on her nipple again, rolling it with his tongue, forget answering or thinking or worrying about that. They were doing this. It was _on. _She laughed, her breath hiccupping in her throat. She was too busy with the feeling of him moving inside her to, like, worry about that shit. She was busy. She

was rippling her muscles, playing over his skin where it vanished into her in a slow, fading margin of heat. And he couldn't keep up the chitchat in the face of that. The next thrust stripped the worry of the day away from her like a flash burn, magnesium. "Ah," she gasped, hard. "Naruto..!"

"Already..!" he laughed, his own voice ragged. "I'm going to really make you scream, then..!" His voice welling over with infectious enthusiasm.

"Hinata's in the next room..!" she hissed at him, but it was at least half in wicked pleasure at all this effortless naughtiness, he was the naughty kid she wanted to be so badly, but had to try to be good, to be responsible. Well, not right now! He thrust deep, changing the angle, stretching every nerve in her body so they quivered like bowstrings. "Oh.. hell.. " she caught the curse, deflected it. He probably was going to do that, yeah, it was a pretty good bet that he would. She could never believe it herself, that he could summon these kinds of things from her, that he could make her want it so much. She never did. She was too busy moaning and whimpering and trying to breathe as he slid deep and hit the spot, on and on, so much stamina, her legs were quivering and damp with sweat already. Her voice was rising, the little moans flowing from her lips like a river. She remembered Hinata and crushed her mouth against his shoulder.

"...Sakura.." he gasped, as she clenched him tight. She almost felt his pulse skip, she was pressed so tightly. He was losing the ability to do anything but thrust, just like she was losing the ability to do anything but writhe and lock her hands on his shoulders and pump her legs up behind him. She opened her eyes between hard gasps for air, saw his eyes closed in abandon, just soaking in the pleasure, his lips parted. "..Sakura.." he moaned, his voice almost cracking. "...ah, _ah.. Sakura..." _And the way he said her name was as light as a hot gust of wind through her veins. She pointed her toes and stabbed them hard at the ceiling, once, just as he pressed deep and hard in just the right place, her insides rippled, her head fell back. Okay, now she was screaming. Screaming, like she was beside herself, he was like liquid fire under her skin, melting her down. Screaming. Screaming his name. Screaming, as her insides clenched and tried to pull him right into her, as his back jerked hard and he burst hot inside her, the gruff, growling, deep-throated sound he made against her ear, the ripples of it down thorough his body, through hers and tickling her ears, as he came.

"Hey, maybe she won't hear?" Naruto laughed, wildly, pushing again, pushing deep, she had to bite her lip. His voice was ragged and excited, breathless. Yeah, maybe she won't hear, maybe they won't hear this in downtown Konoha, Sakura thought, distantly. You couldn't think straight, not when you were doing _this._

So instead of thinking, she did that thing that Ino had told her about, imagining that she was trying to get pregnant- again, even if it was probably kind of unlucky, by now. Because that just made it so much better, even better then it was, would be, just to be here with him, to be this close to that fire. Feeling him revel in it, too, revel in her. It was a damn hard life, there was all kinds of horrible, sad, crazy-making things she could think of, would think of, when he pulled out of her and this hot wetness cooled to a sticky mess. But it was amazing the way it could be so good, too. Life, him. Natural and simple. She grabbed the back of his head, pulled him down and kissed him hard, feeling him respond right back, feel the same things. Think the same things, that it was amazing just to be here. That there was no better place to be, no one better in the entire world, that they just fit so perfectly.

"...safe!" he whispered, his lips sliding to the side slightly as he braced one hand on the far edge of the counter. He narrowly avoided knocking over a half-empty open can of stewed tomatos, which would make an incredible mess, really. Sakura had to laugh, because it was so _him, _all of this.

"I guess we'll get away with it," she whispered back, kissing the long stretch of his throat as he leaned across her to pull the can safely away from the edge. A slow drip of cooling fluids traced down the inside of her thigh, pooling on the edge of the counter beneath her.

Naruto leaned back and collapsed onto her, heavy and warm and alive with chakra and heat and his rasping, excited, laughing gasps for breath. "There we go..." he whispered hot in her ear. "This time.. this time, it'll work."

"...ah, Naruto-kun.." she whimpered, letting her sweaty back fall against the countertop, her fingers running restlessly over the rumpled, sweaty fabric of his shirt, all mussed from her fisting damp hands, his hair slipping through her fingers. "Look what a mess you've made." Teasing him.

Naruto growled, long and satisfied, deep in his throat. He mouthed one of her nipples through the rumpled edge of her shirt. She looked up at him, sweaty and his hair all mussed and sticking up in every direction. He looked back down at her and his eyes were piercingly bright, so alive. Set off perfectly by his flushed cheeks. God _dammit _she wanted this, she wanted his children. She wanted a family, just for them. Even if they'd have to stop the wild all-over-the-house sex, when the kids came. And neither of them would get any sleep, even less then usual. That was ok. They'd improvise. She could feel the blood humming under his skin when she raked her hands gently through his hair, scratching lightly behind his ears, seeing the way his eyes narrowed a bit in delight as she did.

She sighed contentedly, rubbing herself against his hands, murmuring to him as he wiggled his fingers against her. "..mm.. I wonder if that did it."

"...lemme check.." he whispered, flashing her a wiseass grin. His quick fingers pulled up the hem of her shirt theatrically, making her giggle slightly as he ducked his head under it. He pressed his ear to her slick, sweaty belly button. "..hey! Hey hey hey, I know you're in there. You're going to be strong as hell, right? You'll be _way_ stronger then Sasuke's kids, when he gets his fucking head out of his ass and acts human enough to actually get a girl, right?"

She caught her breath at that, the mention of Sasuke.

"Heh, that's right! He'll be hopeless at it! I'll laugh like hell, it'll be funny.. hey, Sakura-chan..." The melancholy feeling had seeped into her face, into the air between him. He pulled his head out of her shirt.

"Never mind.. never mind him.." she muttered, holding him fiercely tight. Just for a second, imagining it, too. Hoping with him.

She could picture it so clearly. A spark of life, his glittery chakra and hers catching traction right now, right this second, under his warm hands, the tickle of his breath on her skin. She lay back, stretching her legs, pointing one luxuriantly to the ceiling, running her hands restlessly through his hair.

She opened her eyes but she was looking up at the track lighting in the ceiling, the way the bulbs burned soft golden yellow. The after image of them both, the joyous energy they created together merged with it's warmth and suffused this place, made it home. Even if it was kind of shoddily decorated and she'd have to start watching those designer shows on television again and get some good ideas. Even if she didn't have a heavy, hot armful of her crazy amazing husband lying on her, murmuring contently under his breath and rubbing his cheek and hands against her skin like he wanted to roll around in it. She was watching the whiskery crescent of his closed eyes, the after-flush on his tanned cheeks, she didn't hear the first footstep. Hinata had very soft feet, she was incredibly quiet. Sakura almost missed the second, Naruto was purring against her again, licking her slowly and wickedly suggestive down the sweaty crease between her breasts.

But she heard the soft, shocked gasp that came next. She tilted her head back, heard Naruto murmur, mildly as he slipped from under her shirt.

"Oh.. Hinata-chan.." Pretty straightforward, the way he said that.

Sakura opened her eyes and tilted them back so she could see over her head and across the room.

And was treated to the upside down sight of Hinata's shocked white eyes, her deep blush, her quivering hand against the doorframe.

"Ah.. join us?" Naruto's half-nervous, half-elated breathless laugh.

_"Naruto,"_ she growled at him, disapproving. She felt him rest his chin against her ribs. His hands were snaking under her, into her hair. She whispered at him sharply "..we can't ask her like that!"

"Well, she's here, why not?" he muttered lightly. She could feel the smile in his voice. He said, singsong and teasing "Hinata-chaaaaan..."

Sakura gave Hinata the kind smile she knew the shy girl would need, and a bit of a sheepish _I'm sorry for making you find us half dressed and going at it right in front of you, really _look in it. She nudged Naruto aside slightly, running her hand over his neck and hair, scratching him lightly like she would a playful, languid tiger.

Twisting right side up to face Hinata, she said kindly "You should say something,"

"Join us?" Naruto said again, hopefully. "Hey, why not?" With his perfect, brilliant, winning crazy-ass sincerity. His hair was hanging scruffily in his eyes. "We're all adults, right? We can do this. Wanna?"

Hinata was blushing bright pink, glowing with it. She was luminous, pale and gleaming pink, her soft dark hair rippling over her shoulders, hovering in the doorway.

Sakura smiled at her again, trying to reassure her. "Hinata-chan," she said. She offered her hand.

"Please?" Naruto wheedled, cheerfully. "I'm serious, wanna?"

"Come here," Sakura said to her, warmly.

"Um." Hinata whispered, her lips barely moving. She hesitated for one crystalline little second, right on the edge of action.


	2. Chapter 2

8:30 am

"What are you putting it down as?" Sakura had asked Tsunade, as Tsunade picked up her inkbrush to annotate Sakura's file.

Tsunade had raised one thin eyebrow. "Early pregnancy loss."

Sakura knew it was stupid, but she still breathed a sigh of relief.

The problem was, though... that after the, say, _third _time, you had to start calling it what it was. You started to slip out of the normal bracket of statistical probability and into that _other _place, the place for women who had repeated miscarriages. And you had not only start calling it that- miscarriage- but _habitual miscarriage. _And Sakura was only 18, she was in perfect health, her husband was in blazingly great rude health as usual... so what the freaking _hell?_

But she didn't want that word on her file. She _didn't want it, _it would start to sound like a life sentence. _Habitual miscarriage. _Fuck. She avoided saying it to Naruto too, she didn't want to freak him out. Not while he was dealing pretty well. Not like she didn't know his over-acted front of cheerfulness down to the letter by now.

But she had been planning to not think about it much, because that would make it seem less real. They'd keep trying. They'd have kids if they had to strangle the Kyuubi to do it, or go in for some more aggressive sealing. Sakura had already had this conversation with Naruto, the 'do you suppose the fox is involved' talk, and hell... Really.

"There's nothing wrong with you," Tsunade-sama had said, after the second one. "You're completely healthy."

"The fox." Naruto had said, his eyes turning distant sky-blue, his thoughts turning inward for a rare second. "That would be his style all the way, all right, but.." he'd glanced at Sakura, questioningly.

Oh _hell, _she supposed there could be genetic problems with the spermatocytes, maybe the Kyuubi raked his claws through the delicate stages of meiosis. With a demon coiled up in Naruto's belly, angry and captured and with a whole body available to mess with, it really could be anything.

It really _was _something too, living with a demon. Having a demon in her marriage. She was so used to Naruto that she managed to forget for an astounding amount of time, but still. A _demon. _And, anyway, it didn't really have anything to do with the thing with Hinata. Maybe Sakura was turning into one of those uncontrollably horny pregnant women. Or, at least, she may have _been, _but whatever, the estrogen hung around for a while. Three days ago. Eight weeks. _Dammit._

She really had been half-planning to blame it on the pregnancy hormones. But maybe it really didn't matter, maybe everyone was a bit bisexual around the edges There was something to the way Naruto said Sasuke's name, too, and he admitted it freely. The heart and body were linked up tight in him, the Kyuubi knew no particular polite emotional law. Naruto barely remembered to be ashamed, really. And they both liked Hinata. Maybe they liked her as something just a bit more then a friend.

Maybe they should have wined and dined her, more then they already were. Courted her, done it properly, given the whole village a big new juicy rumor to chew over. Anyone else, and they might have done it. But Hinata wasn't just Hinata, she was _Hyuga _Hinata, and they had to tiptoe around her father. And her family. And her, her delicate feelings and their own baser instincts, even if Sakura knew that all they wanted was happiness for her. To just share the happiness.. why _wouldn't _that work? There would be tangled feelings and things could get bad, but they could carry that. They were all tactically trained, surely they could make _this _work.

Sakura thought it through and squared it with her conscience. It would be Hinata's choice. They'd go as far as she wanted. Hinata's family would never allow an open relationship, Sakura didn't even have to bother asking about _that _one. But she thought that her parents wouldn't kick up much of a fuss. Her mother liked Naruto and Hinata both. So why not? No good reason why not, so _why not? _

But they hadn't really planned properly, either. They'd just sort of let the events link themselves up. Naruto would be home that night, Sakura had asked Hinata over when Hinata came for her father's medicine. The monkey wrench flipped into the works when Sakura started bleeding a few days before.. but maybe she'd wanted to cut loose, a bit. This was how Naruto dealt with pain. But letting Naruto call the shots always landed them in these kinds of situations. But it had been _all his idea, _so hell.. why not do it all the way.

Ok, fine. It had been _her _idea. Never mind that.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

8:55pm

"Sweetie, it's ok," Sakura said to Hinata, like Hinata was a nervous patient, a pretty little skittish bird who would bolt at any second, who had to be coaxed to Sakura's hand.

She hopped off the counter, yanked her panties back up and walked over to poor Hinata, who was standing rooted to the spot, her pretty white eyes about to pop out of her head. Hugging was still pretty neutral between friends, so Sakura pressed Hinata's shaking body against her own aching breasts and glanced over her shoulder.

And there was Naruto, grinning innocently and nonchalantly pulling the dishwasher open, his _dick hanging out, _glistening pleased pinkish in the warm overhead light. She hissed a half-warning at him, and he snickered. He tucked himself back in. He didn't even remember to be embarrassed, it didn't even occur to him. Sakura shook her head, suppressing a smile.

"Sakura-san.." Hinata whispered, her cheek trembling hard against Sakura's shoulder.

"We..." Sakura really had to think about that, how she could explain this. "We just sort of.. really like you, Hinata-chan.." she said.

"Yeah.. we like you." Naruto said, as if this was pretty much normal and would be perfectly ok with everyone, if everyone just had the sense to enjoy life as much as he did. "_Like _you, like you." He was loading the dishes all wrong on purpose, Sakura rolled her eyes and let him.

"We don't want you to feel like you have to do anything." Sakura said, leaning over to almost.. _almost.. _touch Hinata's pale little ear with her lips. Which probably wouldn't exactly be a normal neutral 'friend' thing to do. But.. ok, maybe it really was the crazy pregnancy hormones, because Hinata's perfume... Was it even perfume? Maybe Hinata just smelled like flowers naturally, she was just _that _unbearably cute. Sakura could kinda see that.

"But if you want to..." she said, catching her breath.

Hinata wriggled against her, nervously.

"I... I don't... know." she whispered.

"...and if ya feeeel, like _ah _feel.. _baaaybee.." _

Sakura looked over her shoulder to see Naruto's innocent angel-smile, like he wasn't singing under his breath. He put a handful of tomato-stained kitchen knives into the dishwasher with a satisfied clatter. "You stop that," she said to him, trying not to laugh.

His blue eyes flashed as they locked on hers, his hair falling in spikes into his face, sharp and dangerous like a jungle animal. It took her breath _away, _just a glance, she really had it bad, didn't she? Good thing she was married to him.

"I... " Hinata whispered. Her little fingers curled around the flimsy strap of Sakura's cotton undershirt. One of them brushed over Sakura's skin, and it was surprisingly warm. Something about Hinata made you suspect that she'd be warm under her heavy coat, but her cheeks would be cold, her hands would be cold. Maybe it was just the heat of the wine, warming her.

"...ain't _nothing _wrong with me.. loving yooouuu.." Dammit, Naruto was still singing.

"You stop doing Barry White _right now," _she hissed at him.

"Marvin Gaye," he said lazily, leaning one slim hip against the counter. "Hey, Hinata-chan... you like me singing, right?" he knit his fingers and pulled his tanned arms high over his head, stretching like a long striped tiger. Hinata turned her head to watch him, reaching on her tiptoes to move her eyes just a bit over Sakura's shoulder.

"Um.. well.."

"Don't encourage him." Sakura murmured. Hinata had soft hair.. how did she do that? Sakura's would never behave like this, but Hinata's just flowed like a river.

"I'll sing just for you," he said, his eyes sparking with a hint of intrigue. He flopped one of the dishtowels over his shoulder and came around the counter. Hinata quivered when he came closer, quivered at the sound of his voice. She almost.. gasped.. when Naruto leaned over her and sang in a whisper in her ear.

"..Naruto-kun.." Her hands were white-knuckle tight on Sakura's clothes now. Sakura raised her head from Hinata's and caught Naruto's gaze. She gave him the _okay, go ahead _look, and she watched him gently, with incredible care, blow the soft hair away from Hinata's cheek and brush his lips along it's soft curve. Then her jawline. Then, leaning down as Hinata raised her head, blooming deep pink now, Sakura saw him graze the soft skin of her neck with his teeth. Great, Sakura thought, he's turning _me _on. That wasn't the point! And anyway, she was already there.

Hinata turned, and Naruto took her shoulders and gently pressed her back against Sakura. Sakura held her carefully, trying to make her feel protected and safe. Sakura hesitated, but then thought.. well, Naruto got to kiss her. She carefully bent her head and kissed the pinking lobe of Hinata's ear. The silver earring there tasted sharp and metallic against Hinata's soft skin. Hinata herself tasted like.. hmm. Sakura couldn't place it. The way paraffin wax smelled as it melted, the undertone of marzipan half-sweetness? So she did it again, realizing that she really hadn't planned on an open-mouthed kiss, that Hinata was quivering harder whenever the tip of Sakura's tongue brushed her skin. But she realized that _way _too late. Naruto was cupping Hinata's cheeks in his hands, stroking one with the back of one hand, little soft grazes of his knuckles.. so casually affectionate. Hinata was almost making soft sounds, little gasps.

"Sweetie, relax..." Sakura whispered in her ear.

"..unless it's just _that _good, huh?" Naruto said to her, wickedly wiseass. But softened, like he was being very careful with her. He closed his eyes and whispered close to Hinata's ear "Okay.. so.. you know how to stop me. Just say the word." He leaned in closer and though Sakura didn't see the exact moment when his lips touched Hinata's, she felt the soft moan start in her friend's throat, whisper around the edges of her covered lips.

"We'll stop anytime you want, ok?" Sakura whispered in her ear, trying not to brush her breasts against Hinata's tense, warm back. Her nipples ached.. stupid pregnancy hormones again... and Hinata was.. _yeah, _she was grasping at Sakura's shirt, the side of her pants. Hinata's hand was clutching at Sakura, blindly, even as Naruto leaned in, tilting Hinata's head slightly back, deepening it, that soft kiss. Sakura leaned her head against the back of Hinata's, felt Hinata's soft hair tickling her nose.. and could just _imagine _what that would feel like. For both of them.

"There." she whispered, stroking Hinata's soft shoulders as Naruto pulled back, and his strong arms squeezed them all together tightly. "It's ok.. he won't bite." she gave him a teasingly firm look over Hinata's head. "Don't bite her, Naruto."

"Who me?" he murmured innocently.

But Hinata was slowly, hesitently sliding her hand over Naruto's chest, her spread fingers searching, smoothing out the rumples of his shirt over hard muscle. Sakura reached around and placed her hand over Hinata's. Hinata's hand didn't shake, Sakura noticed. Not at all. "Naruto-kun..." Hinata whispered, her voice high and sweet. "...Sakura-san..."

"Sakura-_chan." _she whispered gently in Hinata's ear.

"I... I don't know... I want to show respect."

"Call her whatever you'd like," Naruto said, rubbing his cheek against Hinata's neck, the soft underside of her neck, like a cat rolling happily around in sun-warmed grass, Sakura thought. "..._ah.. _yeah. Hinata, we just love the hell out of you, you know that? You're so damn _cute _I can't stand it."

"_We _can't stand it." Sakura told her, a bit short of breath herself, now.

"Yeah." he laughed, husky and close, soft and bristled with his own quick breath. "That's right. _We."_

Hinata wiggled her fingers slightly under Sakura's hand. Then again, and it was clear that she was testing the way it felt, she wasn't trying to get away. She flexed her shoulders, shuddering, then shivered in a full-body wave, slow and ah.. _like that.. _Sakura wasn't ready to surrender to her inner horny pregnant lady enough to dry-hump her poor shy friend, but if her poor shy friend were to, say, _press _herself against Sakura, move just that way? Yeah, that was fine. Sakura had to bite her lip, her breasts were always too sensitive right around this time. Stupid pregnancy hormones.

And Naruto was _watching _her, he'd seen. His naughty little paw snaked around Hinata and found Sakura's breast, unerringly. He rolled her sensitive little nipple between his fingers and Sakura _was _gasping, now. It would only take a little bit of pressure to make her start moaning, and Naruto _knew _that, damn him. She swatted him lightly with her other hand.

"Would your family...?" she said to Hinata, trying to keep half-reasonable, even though Naruto was still.. _still.. _doing _that. _And it was hard to manage actual sentences.

"I think that they would only object to.." she heard Hinata say close against her. Sakura swatted Naruto's hand away, leaning over Hinata's shoulder to kiss his wrist sharply as he pulled that hand up Hinata's arm. Sakura saw the deep red flush fade in to the side of Hinata's neck. She raised a clinical eyebrow, half-managing it.

"Non-penetrative?" she said, snapping into straight-forward doctor mode instantly. Hinata winced in embarrassment, but nodded, with a trace of relief. Sakura shot Naruto a warning look. "Non-penetrative." she said to him, firmly.

He shrugged, leonine and relaxed. "Hey.. we can do other things." He was rubbing his cheek against Hinata's neck again, Sakura's hand, any part of Sakura or Hinata that he could reach. Slow, languid.. Sakura leaned her head back slightly, ran her fingers through his messy hair. "...or you can do that to _me, _and other things..." she said, distantly.

"Maybe.. they wouldn't mind." Hinata whispered suddenly. Urgently. Her hands clutching at Sakura's hand, Naruto's shoulder. Hard.

---------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, in the future, deep in the spring, Sasuke set his teacup down with a definitive clink.

"Pardon me, but you did _what _with Naruto?"

"Not with.. him." Hinata murmured, blushing. She turned her eyes to the solarium garden and the birds.

Sasuke took a deep breath and sat back down. He didn't want to loom over her like that, it was unseemly, and anyway, he didn't want to frighten her. "So, not with Naruto."

"With Sakura..." she whispered.

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"While Naruto-kun..."

"Yes?"

"...watched.."

"I see."

"Are you angry?"

".. I suppose not." he pressed the pads of his thumb and forefinger to his eyelids gently, sighing.

"..disappointed in me?"

"..what? No. _No, _it's all right." Absolutely speechless, maybe. Very, _very _surprised, to be certain. No, not disappointed, young ninja did all sorts of things, and it wasn't as if _he _could really throw stones, was it? He sighed, again, raising his eyebrows slightly. With Sakura, too. _That _was a surprise. He wondered for a second if Naruto knew about this, and then remembered that, well, Naruto had been _there. _Watching. He frowned, not certain if he liked that, even if he really had no right to object, not retroactively.

He saw her tilt her head, her long silken hair drifting to the side in a gleaming curtain. "...curious..?" She was too embarrassed to meet his eyes, but not too much to _say _it in the first place, he noticed.

He blushed, felt himself doing it, which was mortifying. And then she leaned over the little table and kissed him right on the hottest part of his cheek- and he _knew _she could see. "I have to get back to training," he mumbled, blushing harder. "I'll be home in a few hours."

He could feel her soft smile, that strange alluring glint in it. "...all right."

She waited until he was halfway to the garden's iron gate, which just _proved _that she was up to no good, that none of this was an accident.

"Naruto-kun..." she said, softly.

He paused, his hand on the cold metal latch.

"..._mostly _just watched."

He shook his head. "He's possessed you. You know that he's a demon, right? I'll arrange for an exorcism." And then he really _did _have to go because otherwise he'd end up doing something like killing Naruto, jumping poor Hinata, or worse: asking her for further details. And that would be improper.

And fascinating.

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A/N: I'll work on the update for _Still Waters _today too, as soon as the coffee shops open. This story practically writes itself.

I don't know if the Sasuke/Hinata conversation will be canonical to _Still Waters, _but hell.. might be fun if it WAS. XD

Maybe it's a stylistic mismatch to have the fertility problems stuff creep in to this story. But that's where I was planning for _Still Waters!_Narusaku to be. Secretly. They wouldn't have told Hinata about that even in that story, yet.

Yeah, yeah.. I know there's no Dr. Phil or Marvin Gaye in Konoha or the setting of _Naruto. _I feel like an occasional anachronism can be tolerated by the mood of the story well enough. I guess it might bother some people.

To be continued! Just in case there was any doubt.

And yeah.. still don't own _Naruto. _


	3. Chapter 3

So, this was all Naruto's idea. And it was going too fast.

It was a given that they were going to chase Sasuke down, so in daily conversation, mostly they didn't mention it. It was understood. They didn't have to say it. And, anyway, Sakura could hear his name in every word she and Naruto said. You could say they'd built their bridges to one another in the process of bringing Sasuke back. Even if he was not there, he was there in their memories and their thoughts. He was always there. Sasuke was still Kakashi's number one favorite genjutsu trick to use on them. He was their weak spot. But also, their strength. They bound together to save him. They joined hands to fall in love with one another, accidentally. And Sasuke would be bound up in everything they'd do until and after and forever, up until he was safe and home in Konoha. And beyond.

They had decided to have children because they both wanted them. Sakura wanted to give Naruto a family, and he wanted to make her happy. They both wanted to draw closer, seal their bonds. Maybe they were a bit young, but they were both jounin now. They were on the jounin pay scale for the missions they took. So they could afford it. And maybe now was the time, when Sakura was young and resilient, and could recover from childbirth quickly, and get back to work.

"I want to see his face." Naruto said, laughing. Talking about when Sasuke came home, because to Naruto it was something that would definitely happen, sometime. "He'll be jealous, you see!" Of them, of their happiness, of the fact that Naruto had married her and Sasuke hadn't, Sakura was used to this joke. It was what Naruto did, make cracks about it, just so it would be a bit more bearable. Sakura just hoped they could show Sasuke when the time came that he was still part of them. She hoped he'd somehow be willing to accept it from them this time. She also hoped that he didn't get himself killed, or destroy the parts of him she'd seen winking to life, near the end of their time together. She hoped she'd recognize Sasuke when he returned. She hoped he'd be alive. Mostly she let Naruto carry that torch, she was the practical one. She kept them on track. He kept their hearts together. They held fast, their hands tightly interlinked.

They hadn't thought too much about this idea of inviting Hinata to spend some time with them. It was meant to be just good feelings for the sake of goodness. Sakura still thought that it would probably work out. She pushed away the melancholy. She and Naruto tried to focus on the future, on the brightness of the current moment. They had one another. They had their friends, their team. They could go forward...

And the time to realize that maybe it wasn't a good idea was long since passed. Part of Sakura stood back and had some clinical distance about the situation. Maybe it was wrong, and maybe it was insensitive. She knew that Hinata liked Naruto, and Naruto knew it... and it was a mess, or would have been, if Hinata had actually seemed to want to do anything but be alone, dutiful and carry herself with a wispy hint of sadness.

But the time to explain their feelings was passed.. passing.. very fast. As Sakura sat back on her heels slightly, Naruto was leaning in to kiss the little half-crescent of Hinata's delicate jaw, and Hinata was squeezing the bones of Sakura's hand together. The moment was spiraling away.

She hid her sigh, because she didn't want to ruin that moment, it was set out perfectly before her, her husband's closed cat-eyes, the soft press of his ruddy skin against Hinata's perfect powdered cheek. Jungle cat to storybook princess. And both of them held her hands, Hinata had one, Naruto had the other. Sakura couldn't move, couldn't do much of anything but watch, as second-hand pleasure quivered through their fingers. If she closed her eyes now, they'd pull her in, and none of them would think anything reasonable again until the deed was done. This was not the time to worry, or to call a halt to anything.

"We just want you to be happy." she said again, whispering, even though Hinata's ear was relatively far away. Naruto flexed up the long muscles of his arm, and both he and Hinata tumbled into Sakura's lap, warm and flushed. Hinata's hair fell over Sakura's arm, her bare legs. This was going too fast, _Naruto _was in charge.. nothing boring would come of this, that was for sure.

Oh, _hell.. _she couldn't let Naruto run the show, he'd make a bigger mess then he'd made of the kitchen. Sitting up, she leaned down and got everyone's limbs sorted out. She could manage the charka acupressure, the touch-points... she got Hinata calmed a bit more, and Naruto all languid and sprawled in Hinata's lap.. but he was so beautifully easy. Putty in her hands.

And they let Hinata watch as Sakura took him in her mouth. She felt his lower stomach jerk under her hands, imagined she heard the Kyuubi's rumble. But Naruto was reaching out for Hinata's hand, and then Hinata's little white arms were around him, Hinata was holding him tightly, as Sakura sucked on him gently, making him stop all the playful animal stuff- which he did on purpose- and just tip his head back and groan, soft and low. His hips moved in that slow liquid rhythm, Sakura found Hinata's hand high on Naruto's chest, crossed over his heart. Hinata's chakra was delicate, it almost had lace edges, her hand pressed to Naruto's taut stomach and the slow bleed of the Kyuubi's energy was a strange mixture, dark and light.

It was strange, the silence.. just their breathing. It was almost reverent, even Naruto had fallen silent. He was busy with all the kissing before, now he had other things on his mind... but more then that.

So he came, with a low liquid sound in the deepest part of his throat, a faint vibration ringing through the arc of his spine. Somewhere, the Kyuubi was uncurling his tails, just under Naruto's skin. It was Sakura's imagination, but she could feel the demon reaching through this exact moments. Not always, but sometimes, a little flash of fangs and claws.

And then he was chuckling softly under his breath, grinning like he'd just gotten away with- yeah, pretty close to a threesome. Hinata was flushed bright pink against her wide white eyes. He was nuzzling Hinata's chest, and Sakura was torn between swatting him again, or just reverently stroking his cheek, wrapping him up in her arms, small and only slightly effective as they were. It wasn't like she could heal everything. And it wasn't just the pregnancy hormones, making her feel this way. He was yanking her down with him, into his tight bearhug, against his slowing heartbeat.

Hinata did allow herself to be pulled closer. She allowed herself to be kissed by both them, as they took slow turns kissing one another, then her. Slow, half-turns, and Hinata could stop them anytime she liked. It wasn't that strange to touch another woman's body. In the end it just turned into a tangle of hands, and fingers, and pressed lips, open mouths, flickers of wetness over hot skin.

Maybe they were all a little drunk. Maybe there were things going on in Hinata's life that she wasn't telling them about necessarily. They hadn't told her about the Kyuubi, and the three miscarriages- _damn it- _lost pregnancies. They were friends, but there were things that were still kept silent.. and Hinata had her own team to go back to.

At the end, maybe, there was a moment when they all coiled up together, Naruto's blond spiky head buried between her thighs, Naruto buried in Sakura, and Sakura's fingers as intertwined as his, Hinata's hands clutching her shoulders. Who could tell who's hand was who's really? Who had the time to notice? But there was no screaming, no growling. It was hushed, Sakura bit her lip, and Hinata hid her face in Sakura's hair. Sakura heard her rising gasps, wondered if maybe she shouldn't tell Naruto to take it easy on the poor girl. She felt him tense under her, shiver. The pleasure unwound itself and came to a close. A tangle, a mess.. All three of them sprawled on the living room floor, their cheap apartment because they were paid well enough to afford one kid, but they were still too junior to be making decent money.

"You miss him.." Hinata said, her hair disheveled and her eyes closed. She was lying on Naruto's chest, Sakura was lying tucked under his other arm, and they faced one another across his heart, the spiral seal under their hands. Not by intention, not on Sakura's part. But that seemed to be where Hinata's hand was drawn, and it was where he was hot to the touch. And this was unexpected..

Not that it should have been, for a girl like Hinata who saw so much, and sometimes showed a little razor glitter of sharp insight. It wasn't that the subject was verboten, either, they had talked about him, they had to almost talk around him, because there was nothing to say. Sakura would say that yes, they missed him. She wouldn't say that it still hurt, that the hurt was a dull ache now, ever-present. Naruto would say 'he'll be back,' and try to wring a joke out of it. Neither of them would go any deeper then that. It wasn't that they couldn't discuss it with Hinata, who was a close friend, but it was almost shameful. It was too complicated and difficult. Of course they missed him. It was still strange to hear Hinata mention Sasuke.

"Do you feel like there's something missing?"

Hinata was whispering, and Sakura opened her eyes to pay attention, because there was something there, she frowned, and her analytical wits kicked into gear before her manners could.

"You think we need a third person around.." she sighed.

But she wasn't angry, and she could hear how she sounded. Bone-tired. It was worse, somehow, because Naruto stirred immediately and curled his warm arm around her. And then there was his warm whisper 'Sakura-chan... Sakura-chan..' And maybe they were embarrassing Hinata because there was something so intimate about how he said it. There was his playful fun affection that he showed all day, then there was this fierce, deep, desperate affection, the kind that was meant for their locked bedroom. There wasn't time or space for that much feeling in a hard, brutal job like theirs. Not by daylight. Hinata's eyes just turned softer, and more distant. You couldn't really tell with her sometimes. Sakura watched just a bit too long, and Hinata blushed. She looked away, embarrassed now. But for what, her insight?

Maybe they did just feel some deep empty hole, something that made them lonely, strangely, even in one another's arms. Even though somehow that shared loneliness made them cling closer.

Sometimes, when it was late like this, and they'd finished eating, and they'd emptied the sake bottle, they'd come close to this. Sometimes Naruto would almost talk about Sasuke. They'd talk about the empty space where Sasuke was. Hinata probably was right.

And for that matter, she and Naruto hadn't really thought that hard about _why _they wanted a child. They just wanted one, they said they were happy. They were. They wanted.. something.. they would chase Sasuke to the ends of the earth. to death do them part.. and.. oh, _hell.. _maybe the child was just another way, another substitution.

But did people really think this hard? Sakura wanted to give Naruto a family of his own, and he wanted to give her the same.. was that so difficult?

"I want you to be happy, too." Hinata said softly. She sat up and her hair flowed off Naruto's chest. She brushed it back into place with her fingers, like a little bird fluffing it's feathers. It was a strange contrast to her words. Sakura really didn't want to be sad tonight, she didn't want all this melancholy.

"...bastard, doesn't even have to be here and he still kills the mood..." Naruto said, yawning into his hand. His tone was wry, almost silly. But he was faking it and he could feel the tension too. He'd seen Hinata's slow, sad smile.

She bowed her head and her hair unraveled itself in smooth little waves, falling down into her face, into her graceful, formal, half-bow. Killing them with manners.. though Sakura knew that Hinata was being gentle, it still stung a bit.

"That's why I can be your friend," Hinata said. "But I can't do this for you."

You couldn't argue with that kind of reasoning. Sakura felt Naruto let his breath out in a long gust, his chest deflating under her ear.

"We understand." Sakura said. She closed her eyes against the soft incandescent light and the warm, familiar chakra signals of her house, her husband... Naruto twisting that long sigh into a recovery, a wiseass joke, a warm smile at Hinata, preparing something he could say to make it all better.

"Aw, Hinata-chan.." he wheedled, but the look he shot Sakura over Hinata's head, as he pulled her down into her arms, and she squeaked in surprise...

...was sad, and sheepish, and Sakura grabbed his other hand and squeezed it.

_Dammit. _

They had meant well. She _had _meant well. It had been about making Hinata feel wanted, loved... oh, _hell.. _never mind. Maybe they had no right to be involved with anyone but eachother. They loved one another, and that love was true and real, but they were still messed up over Sasuke. That was just as real. "Busted." Naruto mouthed to her, as Hinata gathered herself up, and patted her clothes back into order. Sakura could only look back just as sheepishly. But it was probably all right, Hinata was handling it. Sakura sighed, and got her own shirt back on. She yanked at the hem of Naruto's boxers, making him snicker, deflate the tension.

"I understand." Hinata said. There was nothing fake or desperate about Hinata's smile. It was okay. It was kind of stupid of them, maybe, but they were forgiven. And it was silently, tacitly, becoming something that they had agreed upon, done once, and- while it was nice- would not do again.

"So, coffee?" Sakura said, taking control of the situation again. Naruto made it, and made it way too strong as usual- on purpose. Sakura watched him spoon way too much sugar into his cup and rolled her eyes... and Hinata giggled behind her hand. Sakura re-loaded the dishwasher- the right way this time- and Naruto cleared the table, and clowned for Hinata, and secretly for Sakura, she could see. Hinata sat on the other side of the counter and drank coffee demurely, because she was a guest and she didn't have to do anything, that was Sakura's rule. It was going to be okay. Things were back to normal. Hinata would go back to her own team. They'd have to rethink the kids issue, maybe... Sakura sighed, and Naruto snuck up behind her and buried her in his arms, growling theatrically in her ear.

Sakura caught the edge of longing in Hinata's eyes as she watched. But Hinata was right, it wasn't the same. For either of them.

They kissed her at the door. Hinata stood on her tiptoes and raised her face for Naruto's half-silly kisses. Then she turned to Sakura. She stood very still as Sakura kissed her forehead. As Sakura pulled away, she said "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Naruto said, on reflex, Sakura knew. He leaned against the door, yawning into his hand. Relaxed. On the surface. "We just had too much to drink." Sakura thought that was as good of a cover story as any.

"We're still friends." Hinata said solemnly. Then she smiled her usual shy smile, bowed, and thanked them for the evening. Sakura said goodnight for both of them, then closed the door.

Naruto dropped the act, ran one scuffed hand over his eyes, sighing.

Sakura sighed, and leaned against him, leaned into the warm tangle of his arms. They still had one another. They had everything they'd had before, warmth and love and one another, the strength to put their team back together again. Enough determination and silliness and focus and everything they'd need, between them. If Naruto couldn't make this okay right this second, then Sakura would.

"Don't look at me," she murmured to him, feigning disapproval. "It was your idea!"

They sealed up most of their empty spaces with a shared secret of conspiratorial laugher. It would do until they pulled Sasuke back, and sealed them up for good.


End file.
